Heidi Swedberg on playing the ukulele

I have a uke hero, Heidi Swedberg.  She played the character of Susan Ross on Seinfeld as George Costanza’s doomed fiancé.  I didn’t know that; and, in fact, never heard of Heidi until I read about her in an interview in the Spring 2014 issue of Ukulele Magazine.  She’s an amazing person, but what most interested me in the interview was her views on playing the ukulele.  From that interview:

     “ ‘Here’s the thing, this is what I really believe in,’ she continues.  ‘I think it’s far more important to make music than to be good at making it.‘  [LDU: What a great philosophy.  And she teaches uke!] . . . “

     “. . . ‘What I want more than anything,’ she says, ‘is to encourage others to play, to sing, to make music, to have music in their own lives, as a vital part of their lives.  And you don’t have to be good for it to be vital.  I stand for making music no matter how bad you suck.’ 

     “She laughs again, then bangs on the table, emphasizing every other word with its own bang.

     “ ‘I think!’  Bang!  ‘You totally!’  Bang!  ‘Have to!’  Bang!  ‘Get over!’  Bang!  ‘Your fear!’  Bang!  ‘Of!’  Bang!  ‘Sucking!’ [LDU:  Well, that’s certainly dramatic; but you get the point.]”